{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1840470,
        "msgid": "lamaholot-festival-talk-show-highlights-cultural-preservation-challenges-in-the-digital-era-1783151422",
        "date": "2026-07-04 13:31:00",
        "title": "Lamaholot Festival Talk Show Highlights Cultural Preservation Challenges in the Digital Era",
        "author": "indrastuti",
        "source": "MEDIA_INDONESIA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Social Policy",
        "summary": "A cultural talk show at the International Lamaholot Festival addressed the declining regeneration of Lamaholot traditions among youth, from language to traditional attire. Officials and researchers argued that digital technology should be harnessed as a tool to strengthen cultural identity through documentation, creative content, and economic development. The discussion also highlighted the integration of local cultural concepts into regional development planning for 2025\u20132045.",
        "content": "<p>The existence of Lamaholot culture amid the tide of digitalisation\nwas the main focus of a cultural talk show held as part of the\nInternational Lamaholot Festival. Speakers emphasised that digital\ntechnology should serve as a tool to strengthen cultural identity, not\nreplace it. Head of the Regional Library and Archives Office, Anselmus\nAssan Olla, highlighted the weak regeneration of Lamaholot culture, from\nthe use of the local language to the wearing of traditional attire,\nwhich is increasingly being abandoned by the younger generation. \u201cThe\nregeneration of Lamaholot culture is not happening. Cultural elements\nsuch as the local language and traditional clothing are starting to be\nabandoned. There are even foreigners who are more fluent in our language\nthan our own children,\u201d he said. According to him, the biggest challenge\ntoday is the presence of the digital world, which is often seen as a new\ncivilisation. In fact, digital technology is merely a tool that should\nbe used to preserve culture. He encouraged the creation of creative\nworks based on local culture, including animated films or cartoons that\nfeature Lamaholot folklore. For him, cultural preservation must start\nwithin the family through character education and the habitual use of\nthe mother tongue. \u201cI enforce a rule at home: on Saturdays and Sundays,\nwe must use the Adonara language. Mobile phones can only be used\nafterwards. The question is, do we let Lamaholot culture become just a\nmemory, or do we pass it on to the next generation?\u201d he said. Meanwhile,\nPetrus Demong, Head of the Communication and Informatics Office,\nreminded that change is a certainty in social life. He quoted the view\nof a French novelist who said that nothing is permanent except change\nitself. In the context of digital governance, a representative from the\nLembata Regency Communication and Informatics Office explained that the\ngovernment is obliged to provide digital infrastructure, platforms, and\nservices that support public services and community development.\nCurrently, telecommunications infrastructure in Lembata has reached 37\npoints across nine sub-districts, although several areas still\nexperience limited internet access. As a 3T category region, people with\ncertain economic capabilities are starting to use satellite-based\nservices such as Starlink. The government also hopes for the emergence\nof local digital platforms integrated with the official regional\ngovernment portal so that the activities of all regional apparatus\norganisations can be monitored in an integrated manner. \u201cA concrete step\nthat can be taken now is for each OPD to have an official social media\naccount without incurring large costs. Digital literacy, digital\nsecurity, and media ethics are also important parts that we continue to\npromote,\u201d he explained. Doctor of culture and Lamaholot weaving\nresearcher, Miss Linda, assessed that the digital era actually opens up\ngreat opportunities for the preservation and development of traditional\ntextile heritage. Having researched Lamaholot weaving for more than a\ndecade, she sees the importance of digital documentation through\nelectronic books, social media, and other online platforms. According to\nher, the development of a weaving-based creative economy must continue\nto maintain the use of cotton materials and traditional motifs so that\ncultural values are not lost amid market demands. \u201cWe can use Instagram\nor websites to market weaving. But the most important thing is to\nmaintain the motifs, meanings, and stories behind each piece,\u201d she said.\nShe also appreciated the involvement of young people in promoting\nLamaholot culture through digital media, while reminding that published\ncontent should not only display forms and decorative patterns but also\nthe philosophy contained within them. Head of the Lembata Regency\nBappelitbangda, Doctor Manto, asserted that culture has become the main\nfoundation in both regional and national development documents for the\n2025\u20132045 period. According to him, economic, social, and governance\ntransformation must be based on socio-cultural resilience. He mentioned\nthat local concepts such as muro and duang have been included in the\nRegional Medium-Term Development Plan as part of sustainable development\nbased on ecology and culture. \u201cCultural development is not just about\nfestivals. It includes cultural literacy, cultural economy, education,\ngender equality, and cultural ecology. All of this is already contained\nin the regional planning documents,\u201d he said. Doctor Manto admitted that\nhe himself is not yet fluent in the local language, but considered this\na reminder that space for the younger generation to engage in cultural\npreservation must continue to be expanded. Meanwhile, Secretary of the\nTourism Office, Kristianus Molan, highlighted the declining interest of\nmillennials and Gen Z in cultural activities such as weaving and\nregional dancing. According to him, many 25-year-olds no longer possess\nweaving skills. He stressed the importance of digitalisation as a means\nof documenting culture that has so far been passed down orally.\n\u201cFolklore, mother tongues, and customary traditions must be archived\ndigitally. If not, we risk losing cultural heritage that has only been\nnarrated from generation to generation,\u201d he said. Closing the\ndiscussion, Anselmus Assan Olla invited all elements of society to\ncollaborate in the cultural literacy movement. He cited the example of\nseveral communities that independently document the process of making\nwoven cloth from cotton to finished fabric. \u201cIf others can do it with\ntheir own funds, why can\u2019t we? The government is a facilitator. What we\nneed now is willingness, collaboration, and drive so that Lamaholot\nculture remains strong amidst changing times,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lamaholot-festival-talk-show-highlights-cultural-preservation-challenges-in-the-digital-era-1783151422",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}